Guard for lanterns



C. H. BUTT-ERFIELD,

Lantern Guard No. 14,006. Patented Dec. 25, 1855.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

C. H. BUTTERFIELD, OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO AMORY HOUGHTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GUARD FOR LANTERNS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 14,006, dated December 25, 1855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. BUTTER- FIELD, late of South Lancaster, but now of Nashua, in the county of Hillsboro and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Guards for Lanterns; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1, exhibits a front elevation of a lantern having one of my improved guards applied to it. Fig. 2, is a perspective View of the guard, as it appears, when removed from the lantern.

In September 1855, Letters Patent of the United States were granted to me on an improved lantern guard which was removable from the lantern and constructed in two parts hinged together and provided with catches by which it may not only be fastened to the lantern so as to surround the glass body thereof, but removed therefrom, whenever necessary or desirable to clean the outer surface of said glass part or body. Such a mode of constructing the lantern guard I have found to be expensive and to render it liable to get out of order, and besides, when applied to the lantern, it often becomes unclasped so as to fall therefrom.

In constructing my improved guard, I make its top and bottom A and B, of two curved springs, which I fasten to its side bars, 0, C, C, at their ends, the whole being arranged as seen in Fig. 2. To the middle parts of each of the side bars I fasten a wire, D, whose ends, I form with eyes as seen at a, a, and I attach to one of these eyes a hook, E, of a suflicient length to hook into the other eye, when the guard is applied to the lantern. This hook is not for the purpose of holding the guard to the lantern, but simply to afiord protect-ion to the glass part thereof.

The springs A and B, allow the guard to be opened apart, so that it may be sprung upon and made to embrace the lantern or its neck and lower part, the springs serving to hold it upon the lantern and prevent it from dropping therefrom.

A guard can not only be manufactured on my improved plan much cheaper, but far superior, to one made on the original method as patented to me.

The springs possess a function of holding and always maintaining the guard in place, which is not found in my original invention.

I do not claim making the guard movable by means of hinges and catches or other contrivances equivalent thereto, but

What I do claim is My improved mode of making the guard, viz, elastic as set forth, or with springs at top and bottom to embrace the neck and lower part of the lantern, the same not only dispensing with hinges, but serving to maintain the guard in place, even when its clasp may be unhooked.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature this eleventh day of October A. D. 1855.

CHARLES H. BUTTERFIELD.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

